#microsoft scam

So I was just called up by a man with a heavy Indian accent claiming that my computer was “infected with hackers.” It’s currently 9 in the morning at my location, and normally, I wouldn’t be up this early, so I would be groggy and absent-minded on any other day, had it not been for my cat getting me out of bed and The Necronomicon chanting seductively at me from across the room. So luckily, having read two short stories to get my brain thrumming, I was rather sharp when these yahoos called me up. I didn’t catch on immediately because I’m the kinda person who gives everything the benefit of a doubt, but it became apparent quite quickly that something was off.

1: a man with a heavy indian accent speaking English called a DANISH person at an odd hour, giving nonspecific claims in broken English that my computer was jeapordized.

2: The man very quickly lost his temper when I took a while following his instructions - I was actually looking up info on recent scam-calls on my ipad and drawing it out by relaying to him how “my computer is old, it takes time to boot.”

Now, the moment this man lost his temper and started trying to threaten me with fear-tactics, I knew this was a scam, so here’s the how-to-spot-a-scammer-ABC:

A: NEVER trust anyone who won’t specify what the problem with your machine is.

B: NEVER give in to fear tactics such as “your computer will be blocked in two hours if you do no do this-and-that”

C: ALWAYS remember that major companies do not call outside of regular work-hours, won’t place unsolicited calls and certainly won’t hire people who are intentionally vague about your problem and right off the bat are trying to get you to press things on your keyboard before even explaining what the specific problem is.

If any of these conditions are met, HANG UP IMMEDIATELY. I didn’t, because I didn’t know this last step. Instead, I annoyed the piss out of him.

“Ma’am, if you do not do this, your computer will be blocked in two hours!!”

“I guess I’ll be calling Microsoft in two hours, then.”

“Ma’am, your - your machine is going to be shut down, is that what you - tell me, what do you want?!”

“Well, I want. To not. Be scammed.”

He promptly hung up.

A SCAM, IT’S NOT MICROSOFT This post will be followed by another more lengthy post concerning scams I have experienced three times with my computer being locked with a screen saying Microsoft has found a security leak on my computer. There is usually a blue screen along with one or two others warning you not to turn off your computer. You are given a phone number to call. DO NOT CALL THE…

  In this episode of Scam DamNation, host Lillian Cauldwell discusses the Microsoft Scam. This scam involves someone claiming to be a Microsoft employee who has detected a virus on your computer and offers to resolve the issue. This is a ploy to compromise your system, files, and personal information. To protect yourself, the number one top priority is to ensure you have up-to-date, effective…

  In this episode of Scam DamNation, host Lillian Cauldwell discusses the Microsoft Scam. This scam involves someone claiming to be a Microsoft employee who has detected a virus on your computer and offers to resolve the issue. This is a ploy to compromise your system, files, and personal information. To protect yourself, the number one top priority is to ensure you have up-to-date, effective…

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UE_Q1pprEg)

got called twice in the same hour from someone who claimed to be from microsoft saying my computer was “being used by hackers” and i needed to do smth to “get rid of the hackers”, and when i didnt comply he said that my computer would be shut down if i didn’t cooperate. i told him to go ahead.

well first thing first im still here so thats a clear sign of bullshit, secondly this is a SCAM which has become increasingly common lately. people get calls, emails, IM’s, anything really, claiming to be whatever to get you to install software or give them access to your computer, whatever they say its a scam.

microsoft doesnt make calls like these, your computer wont be shut down, the only illegal thing here is what the scammers are doing. just hang up, delete the messages, block the users, you will be ok.